Exercise and Will Power

Posted Thursday, January 17, 2008, at 11:32 AM

I saw a commercial the other day that got me thinking. It had Valerie Bertinelli on it portraying her goal to lose weight.

Yes, I know you all have seen it, but this one got my attention more than usual. She had a personal message for the T.V viewer. She said a statement that may at the surface seem truthful, and that is "If I can do it, anyone can do it!"

I know that she has every intention to be truthful, but in reality that is not correct. This might hit a cord with a lot of people. I am certainly one that has extra baggage. You know what I am talking about.

Yes, it is those extra pounds that seem very easy to put on, yet so hard to get off.

Today's society doesn't make it easy for us to be successful in losing weight. There are really three things that get in the way.

1) Exercise

2) Food (the right kind of food)

3) Will power (determination)

Let's examine #1. We all know exercise is the key to losing weight, but the problem is that a lot of people do not have the energy or time.

Let's paint a realistic picture in a typical family life. In the majority of families today, both spouses work. If you are a women, then you have more to do, granted, more and more men are helping their wives today than ever before, but the wife is primarily the one who has to have to take care of the cooking, laundering, etc. And, if you are to spend quality time with the children, then you have to spend actual time doing what they want to do.

So the majority of the time, the mother is, or sometimes both father and mother are, exhausted and do not take the time to exercise. This is a common problem.

Now #2 listed above is one that I have found difficult - finding the right type of food to eat. We all know that we have to eat right, have plenty of greens, veggies and some meat.

But have you priced food lately? You will find that to have the right kind of food to eat, you will have to spend quite a bit more money to buy the right kind of food.

Finally #3. I do not know about you, but I crave McDonald's food. I just love their Quarter pounders. We all know that it is not healthy at all. But you will have to have will power to cut down or not eat out.

While I may continue to have this extra poundage, I will try my hardest to not gain any more weight. That's my goal anyway.